Adjustable rack



s. w. NELDNER ADJUSTABLE RACK Filed April 22. 1927 Jan. 24," 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Stephen 74 N eldn er his Attorney Jan. 24,1928. k 1,657,226

s. w. NELDNER ADJUSTABLE RACK Filed April 22. 19.2.7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fig, 4 7 J2 Patented Jan. 24, 1923.

. UNITED STATES res ns STEPHEN W. NEL'DNEB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE RACK.

Application filed April 22, 1927. Serial No. 185,876.

I This invention relates generally to adjustable racks but moreparticularly to such racks used in ovens. j

An object of this invention isto support a vessel in a container in sucha manner that it may be raised or lowered therein without requiring itswithdrawal therefrom.

A more specific object of the invention, is to enable cooking vesselsplaced in thelower portion of an oven to be elevated withoutnecessitating the opening of the ovendoor.

lVhen baking it is customary to start the process near the lowerpOitlOIl of an oven so that the product becomes thoroughly cooked beforeit is permitted to brown over the top which object is usuallyaccomplished by withdrawing the product and replacing it on a shelf nearthe top of the oven. Such withdrawal andv replacementhas been foundquite inconvenient and even dangerous as frequently serious injury hasresulted by the spilling of t e product over the hands and person of theindividual conducting the baking. Furthermore such method requires thatthe oven door he kept open during the shifting of the position of theproduct which lowers the temperature of the oven and not only wastesheat but oftentimes the cool air.

striking the product destroys its character to such a degree as tonecessitate its abandonment.

It is therefore a more specific object of the invention toenable theproduct to be moved from the bottom to the top of an oven or vice versawithout opening the oven door and consequently eliminate the danger andwaste attending the methods heretofore in use.

Astill further object of the invention is to enable the product to beremoved from the oven without requiringthat the individual. conductingthe baking inject his hands into the heated area. I

A feature of the invention is its ability to be withdrawn from anexternal housing to such. a position as to give complete access to avessel placed thereon.

Another feature of the invention is its adjust-ability which enablesvessels carried thereby to be raisedor lowered to varying positions andto accommodate vessels varying in height.

A further feature of the invention is its nicety of control whichenables the user to secure the exact adjustment desired.

Other objects and advantageswill be apparent from the followingdescription taken forming the present invention.

in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is afragmentary perspective view of a stove showing the present inventionmounted in the oven.

I Figure 2 is a sectional view through the oven shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation ofthe rack Figure l is a side elevation ofthe rack' shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the figures of the drawings in detail, the presentinvention is illustrated applied to a gas range 10, mcludlng an oven 11provided with the usual top wall 12',

and bottom wall 13. This oven is provided with double side walls 14:.and double rear walls 15 leaving a space 16 between. said walls and aspace 17 between said rear walls. A; door 18 is hingedly mounted on therange. To the right ofthe oven 11 is an open coinpartmentprovided with atop wall 19, rear wall 20 and floor 21.. Grates 22 are formed in saidcompartment at a point somewhat re- This is accomplished. in the presentinvention by mounting in the oven 11 a rack 25 (see Figures 3 and 4t). ii Thisraclr 25 comprising a. base consisting of a pair of side rails 26connected at their front ends bya rail 27 and at their rear ends by aplate 28. l i

lonnected tov the base atth'e rear thereof is an inverted U-shapedsupport. This support includes side plates 29 joined attheir top ends bya top plate 30. Formed integrally with each of the side plates-29 is anelongated bracket 3i. provided with an Underneath inwardly. extendingflange 32. Provided be Q brackets 31, adjacent the top thereof and invertical alignment with another bracket3 l.

the flange 32 Adjustably mounted on this rack is-a Ill) shelf indicatedgenerally at for holding a vessel ofanyhlhd (not shown). An nnportantfeature of the present invention is means to adjust thisshelf.35,thorizontally so that it may readily heinoved lip and down awayor toward the floor of the oyen nnder which is the flame (not shown),which means is readily accessible from "the exterior of the oven. Thisshelf 35 comprises a rear plate 36, SldOVPlLlZGS 37, said side plates 37being joined at their front ends hy a rod 38'. Passingxhetween said rearplate 36 and frontrod 38iis aplurality of rods 39 forming the floor ofsaid shelf. *Riveted to the rear a'nchside plates of .the shelf atithepoints where said plates are joined is a bracket 40, whichlhracket isfornied with a central internally serew threadecl OpGlllngAll. Thisshelf 35 is mounted oh a:pai1of upright screw rods 42jo1irnalledin thehra'oltets 3i; and flanges "32, the sei'ew threads of which rods lQQrreadapted to engage with the screw threa ds on the iinteri or of :the'openin l1 ofthe brackets 40, permitting said shelf fto iride'up anddownnpon the rods 4-2.

- .The means for drivin said shelf up and down comprises the :tollowiniz Passing through one ofthe tuhhlar side rails 26 of the base is a maindriving shaft l3, the inner end of which is jonrnalled in a pair of carsformed on' the lower end of said side plates 29 of the support. Fined onsaid shaft 43 at a pointi'eino red aem its inner end is a pinion 45. 'Itwill be noted from Figure Qthat this shaft 43, when the raeleisin normalposition in the oven 11,

extends outside itheloven and mounted on the outside end lOftlJlmSllt Yfl .43 is a hand wheel 46 .ffll. convenience in rotating the said" shaftx 513. Mounted bnthe exterior of one of the side plates 29 of the"support, adjacentythe toppahd hottoin thereof is a braelret li'.Journalled in these .hraeketseti is an intermediary "upright drive shaft48 'PIOVlL'lECl with pinions 4 9 and 50, at its lower and upper ends,"respectively The positions of thesedrii e shafts as and 2&8 f are suohthat the 1 pinions a5 and 4-9 are conti nb allfy in meshfi Journalled inthe side plates 25) of the support is another shaift halywhich sh aftisdisposed at right angles to the shaft thereof is a pinionx53whichpinions L53 are continuously inimesli with pinions oatlfiz'cedtoithertop lelldi oftlie iipright screw rodsil'Q,

1t" The apparent 1 ifroi'n" Fig. i that the ran-k ieompfrisin ftliebase-support and shelf forms a unitary stnictiii'et fllhis unitary str tre i a p ed to e Altered f ite and out of the oven 11 and the means fo'accomplishing this movement istan important feature of the presentinvention. Fi l illnstratesnthe str netnre partially out of the oven;lteferriiig "particdl'arly to Figs. 1 and 2,,it will he noticed that ahandle 55 mounted on the front rail of the base. iIt will he seenLthatwhen the structure is in normal position as shown in Fig. the side rails26 are disposed withinthespace '16 hetweeirthe double side walls ll l;of the oven 11 and extending through openingsfiti in the front ofl'thehaseof the oven; and that theifront rail-27 normally cflisposial outsidethe oven. The said side 1' il... ill; slide freelylhetween thesidc"walls-Ji l; fie euredtotheinterior-ofeach of the said side walls of theoven at a point adjacent the itop ithereof and (intending from thel'roat to the rear-is a rail 57. in normal position, this rail (attendstlnrough the' openings 33 oftthevhraciceis ill permitting the rack toslide freely thereon.

lf desired, roller-s58, illustrated in llligr.

inayzhe mo ilnted on the; inner'sides of the plates 29 to facilitate themovement "of the rack on the rail 57.

will tli'ive tile main shalftslh nrhieh,firmitagh the meshing i pinioiisdrives the intermediary shit-ft 1&8, which latter shaft d8" in .t urntllrongh the 'ineshlng pinions drives the shaft 51, and this :lattersha'l't' ill heinglop- UUfllilVUly connected to the nprigrht st reds+19, turns "the :latter rhds alnd due to llllfi rooperation' ofthewthreads on said rods and thenthreads on the shelfhi, said shelfmoves up and down as will be apparent. It will the notedl that this iszuzcoinplished ilrrini the outside i of lithe' i'ange .hy means of thehand wheel so and that it is not IKGC at}; to in-i sent uthe's handsinside the oven and fartherinoretl'iat a very Tline\adjustinent may hehad. If *it \is deeired lto :inspee the ifood in the re 1 oniithe shelf35 Ol' l"l1ll3 food the food after it isucoiihed, thefrauhcomprising!the fhaso, support amlshehf ifllilirll fi vessel may he witlulrawnl'lfoarthu rolmn fill so that said :ressel. is posil'oiaafl o '1"- ofllllfiwil'l'flll where it readily a m and can he? attended ,to asdosh-ml. if s ill: accomplished by simply openingthethan of the men andpullingon the lzarallh 55 onthe rail 27. asemul tion11a side irailsQIl)slideloutwardly of i e spz between the clbuhle walls lrlof the evenwhile the support moves freelyontwartlly f the oven along the rails 5Tcarrying-She shelf. 35 alofig. withliit, said rails 57 and openings 56guiding elillQQlDOYfilllfllTtt hf the rack as: will he mncleissteod.

Awhile 1 have illus rat d and cle cariherl g1 ti l preferred embodimentof my invention, it

will be understood that changes may be made in the details thereofwithout depart ing from the spirit of the invention and it is desired tobe limited only by the state of the art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable rack comprising a base having continuous front and siderails and a rear plate, a support including side and top plates mountedon the rear end of said base, a shelf movably mounted on said supportand means to move said shelf, said means comprising a main drive shaft,an intermediary drive shaft operatively connected. to said main shaft, athird drive shaft operatively connected to said. intermediary shaft, apair of screw rods operatively connected to said third drive shaft andmounting said shelf: anda hand wheel. mounted on said main drive shaftto rotate the same.

in combination with a container, a rack mounted within said container,said rack comprising a base having side and frontrails and a rear plate,a support mounted on the rear end of said base, a shelf adjustablymounted on said support and means to adjust said shelf comprising a maindrive shaft having one end extending outside the container, anintermediary drive shaft operatively connected to said main drive shaft,a third drive shaft operatively connected to said intermediary driveshaft, :1 pair of screw rods operatively connected to said third driveshaft, said screw rods mounting said shelf and a hand wheel mounted onthe exterior end of said main drive shaft to rotate the same.

3. In combination with a container, pro vided with double side andrearwalls having a space therebetween, a rack movably mounted in saidcontainer, saidrack comprising a base having side and front rails and arear plate, said side rails disposed in the space between the doubleside walls and hereto.

said front rail disposed exteriorly of the container, a supportcomprising side and top plates mounted on said base, said side platesbeing disposed within the space between the double side walls, a shelfmounted on said support, and a handle on the front rail of the basewhereby said base, support and shelf may be moved outwardly and inwardlyof said container.

4. In combination with an oven, a rack mounted within said oven, saidrack comprising a base having side and front rails and a rear plate, asupport mounted on the rear end of the base, a shelf adjustably mountedon said support and means to adjust said shelf comprising a main driveshaft having one end extending exteriorly of the oven, an intermediarydrive shaft operatively connected to said main drive shaft, a third.drive shaft operatively connected to said intermediary drive shaft, apair of screw rods operatively connected to said third drive shaft, saidrods mounting said shelf, and a hand Wheel mounted on the exterior endof said main drive shaft to rotate the same.

5. In combination with an oven provided with double side and rear wallshaving a space therebetween, a. rack movably mounted in said oven, saidrack comprising a base having side and front rails and a rear plate,said side rails disposed in the space between the double side walls andsaid front rail disposed exteriorly of the oven, a support comprisingside and top plates, said side.

plates being disposed within the space between the double side walls, ashelf mounted on said support and a handle on the front rail of the basewhereby said base, support and shelf may be moved outwardly and inwardlyof said oven.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name STEPHEN w. NELDNER.

